Fragile Throne
by Feethei
Summary: Tsuna was a nobody, but a nobody with friends he saw each night in his dreams. Until he was named the heir of the military empire Volgola and dragged all his friends into politics with him. Now there is a war against the country that assassinated cousin Frederico, cousin Xanxus seeks to undermine him and the Shimon province is revolting. Luckily he has capable friends to help him.
1. Prologue: Amongst the Dreams

**AN: Okay, this story has been circling in my head and refusing to leave me alone, so I thought I might as well write it down. And I'm quite sure it will be finished. **

**It will have three arcs. First arc is already written when I write this, and the chapters are relatively short. Second arc is where things really start happening and it is largely planned. It will have much longer chapters and much more plot. I have an idea of where the third arc will go, but no details. This will be hopefully be updated quite rapidly (maybe weekly?) until the end of second arc (barring external circumstances) after which I may have to stop and think before launching into third arc. **

**There will be no pairings as far as I can see. They do not have time for such things. Feel free to imagine any pairings you want. **

**Some characters may have very different experiences and relationships than in canon, which means they will react differently. **

**There will be no flames, but there will be supernatural elements in the story. **

**I was originally going to make Lambo the lightning guardian same as canon, but changed my mind after finishing rest of arc 1. He is too young to be in any way useful to the plot and I like Shoichi better anyway. Sorry, Lambo fans!**

**Without further ado, here it is. **

* * *

><p><em>Prologue: Amongst the dreams<em>

Mukuro Rokudo was always a quiet child. He seemed distant even to his parents, detached from everything around him. On those rare moments his gaze wasn't empty, there was a sharp, almost unearthly sense of sadness in it.

Although it isn't a justification for what they did, perhaps it was not surprising that even his own parents didn't bond with him.

But long before their betrayal, before they gave him up thinking they were helping their house, Mukuro had strange dreams. There was a calm, beautiful meadow in them. Sometimes he felt other presences there. They were strangely familiar, like he was supposed to know them but just couldn't remember. Occasionally he might see a silhouette, hear a whisper, catch a flash of a face or a strong feeling.

He knew instinctively there were six other presences. He was sure they were real people somewhere, not just his imagination. Sometimes just the thought they existed filled him with peace. Other times he was irritated beyond measure. He could enter the meadow - the others had better get their act together and figure it out soon. He wanted, no, _needed _to meet them.

Oh well. He could patient when he had to.

* * *

><p>Kyoya Hibari was a difficult child. He was easily irritated and most of the time grumpy. Even when he was a baby, his parents could rarely get him to calm or behave. They may have wanted a child, but they had no idea how to handle him. They both escaped back to their work and left Kyoya to be taken care of by an endless string of ever-changing babysitters, who became more and more expensive as his reputation grew.<p>

But even as a small child, Kyoya loved sleep. He slept a lot, any chance he could do it undisturbed. Even though other children stopped taking naps, Kyoya continued.

When he slept, he felt much calmer. More content. Happier. When he was five years old, he had started meeting people in his dreams. The same six people, although not everyone was present every time. Rain, Storm, Mist, Sun, Lightning and Sky.

They felt like family. The first five felt like brothers to him. He could read their feelings flawlessly and follow their thoughts. He was accepted by them.

And Sky - he was in a class of his own.

* * *

><p>Hayato Gokudera often wished he could get some concrete proof his dreams were true. During them, it never came to his mind to question - he was filled with such confidence it was overwhelming.<p>

In the dreams there was no need to ask names or other labels the others went by. They were Sky, Rain, Sun, Cloud and Mist. That was what they were. There was no need for anything more.

It never came to his mind in dreams to ask the locations of the others. They didn't matter, since they were, at that moment, together.

But during the day, that faded. He wanted a name and a location to research. He wanted to know how their connection worked and if it was just his imagination. He researched extra-sensory perception, out-of-body experiences, telepathy, astral travel - anything that might offer a hint. Nothing did.

He wondered often what the names they called themselves by meant. They were the names of Vongola Guardians. Was there a connection in that?

With time he tried to think of the dreams less and less. It was useless to torture himself with them. He was resigned to them being false or at least never finding proof of their truth.

But the dreams never stopped.

* * *

><p>Takeshi Yamamoto had always felt separate from others. He had first realized this in first grade. They were on a trip to the library when one of his classmates ran ahead and was struck by a truck.<p>

The truck scooped him up and squished him like a grape. There was blood everywhere, people screamed and cried and threw up.

Takeshi just watched. What was their problem? It's not like most of them even knew him.

During the years he started to realize how abnormal his thinking was. He had playmates and he cared for his father. Having people around was nice, but in the same way watching a pretty bird was nice. It wasn't like he was going to cry every time a bird hit their windshield.

He didn't understand people. It was like he was from another world or another race entirely. It made him lonely, but he couldn't do anything about it.

His dreams were the only thing that gave him hope. He felt they were true - somewhere there were people he belonged with. He refused to doubt them and always stopped his thoughts in their tracks immediately if they veered in that direction.

In the dreams he felt a part of something greater. Loved and needed, essential for the others.

Perhaps they were shards of the same soul, he thought sometimes. Parts of a whole, forced apart. Maybe they would unite one day and he wouldn't need to stay lonely anymore.

* * *

><p>Shoichi Irie grew up mostly alone, but didn't mind it. He was a shy boy and had trouble interacting with people. Escaping into the world of computers and coding and machinery and math and <em>logic <em>was a relief.

He got all necessary social interaction with the six people in his dreams. And wasn't that illogical - he had for the longest time worried for his mental stability because of those dreams, until he had filed them under some weird form of lucid dreaming and childhood imaginary friends who refused to leave.

Shoichi went to a school for gifted children, where people appreciated his intelligence and didn't mind a little social awkwardness. It was there he first met prince Byakuran.

He didn't know what special Byakuran saw in him, but he befriended Shoichi. Shoichi was apprehensive. Byakuran was older, powerful, impulsive and unpredictable and sometimes Shoichi felt that the slightest misstep could make Byakuran order his execution.

But something in Byakuran reminded him of Sky. It wasn't his temperament, that couldn't have been more different. They both sometimes watched the world with a quiet intensity, like they were trying to decide what to do with it, but it wasn't that either.

Maybe it was how they both could read him and always knew exactly what to say to him. Maybe it was how they both smiled at him all the time and told him they appreciated him and enjoyed his presence. Maybe it was how they could both make everyone around them feel at ease.

He learned to appreciate Byakurans humor and intelligence. Byakuran didn't treat him as a child, he treated him as a trusted subordinate and friend. And it was an honor to be working with him and for him. Byakuran always had the most interesting projects.

And sometimes Shoichi liked to pretend they were friends. Just two people, not a prince and his pawn.

But that pretense always shattered when their eyes met. Byakurans gaze was always sharp and amused, as if he saw through Shoichi and found something amusing inside him. Like there was a private joke Shoichi was not privy to.

He tried to tell himself it was nothing, but when Byakuran assigned Shoichi ten extra bodyguards, there was a sharp pang of panic inside him.

* * *

><p>Ryohei Sasagawa loved his family and they loved him. It was a strong, unconditional love on both sides. Especially between the siblings - Kyoko was the loveliest, sweetest little sister Ryohei could have asked.<p>

Her presence was soothing for him. But even with her, he never felt like he belonged.

People talked behind his back. He was too energetic and loud, too full of life. he didn't understand that. How could one be too full of life? If you weren't full of life, you were dead!

Ryohei felt he belonged in his dreams. That was why he knew he didn't belong otherwise - the contrast was stark. But his dreams were hazy. He remembered the others, but he didn't remember their faces or their voices. Throughout the day, what he had retained from the dream would fade, until he fell asleep again and remembered again.

He didn't understand it, but he had never been one to brood on anything. It would solve itself with time.

* * *

><p>Tsunayoshi Sawada was quiet and friendless. He slipped through peoples notice - teachers rarely bothered him, schoolmates barely knew him and sometimes he felt even his own mother looked over him.<p>

He was far from smartest in the class, although he wasn't really stupid. Schoolwork never interested him, so he didn't invest effort in it. He was far from athletic as well. His father had signed him up to self-defence classes and dance classes, which he was forced to suffer through for years and _years_. But he was still clumsy, tripped all the time and was always the laughingstock of the class during PE.

But in his dreams things were different.

He had a family. People who looked up to him.

Sometimes he despaired during the day and feared the dreams were just dreams - wish fulfillment. But always something deep inside him argued they were real.

And weren't there times when they had stretched onto the waking world? When his Mist had been panicking, hovering on the border between life and death, and reached to him for strength? He had given his all, of course, and promptly fainted in the middle of a math class. But his Mist had survived, which was all that mattered.

And that time when he suddenly felt Storm being in pain and crashed his bike? He thought he could occasionally feel a the others, for a blink, even outside the meadow. Even if the feeling vanished fast.

He often worried for the others. The Cloud was irritated, even if he calmed in their presence. The Storm was often angry and sad. Rain was lonely outside the meadow. He could feel it. The Mist was often in pain but just shook his head when Tsuna asked if he could help.

It was to be expected - what could he do? Steal money from his parents and try to go look for them, with the whole world to check and no idea where to start? With barely a vague impression of what they looked like?

But he still wished there was something.


	2. Arc 1: Storm - Proof of Existence

_Arc I - Home is where your heart is  
>First chapter - the Storm: Proof of Existence<em>

Hayato was stomping furiously along a gravel path. To his left, there was a tall fence. To his right there was a park, behind which was what was either a big mansion or a small palace.

It was one of the summer homes the Vongola Royal Family owned. Hayato had worked there for a few months now. It was a nice place, compared to a lot of other places he had worked in. But right at the moment he was furious at the comments some of his coworkers had been throwing around and couldn't see anything good about the place.

'Pampered prince', they called him. His father was nobility and there was that whole scandal when it turned out he was illegitimate so of course everyone knew it. Well fine, he had been born in a mansion no so different from this one. But that didn't mean he hadn't earned his job in the royal guards himself!

Fucking idiots were just jealous. He had an urge to kick the wall.

"Are you okay?" He turned to see a small, richly dressed boy watching him form a bench sitting among a few trees.

Well, there was another source of his ire.

The whole damn country had been in uproar for what seemed like a decade but was probably a week. The Emperor, or Nono, as his official title went, had lost his third son.

The two oldest had died years ago in battle - Vongola was still a military empire, even if the expansion had slowed down during Nonos reign. The third son, who had been the heir to the throne, had been assassinated. And now Vongola was preparing to wage war as retaliation - as soon as they figured out who had done it.

That wasn't even the biggest news, though. Nono had not named his fourth son as heir to the throne. The title of the heir had gone to a complete unknown. The son of his distant cousin, prime minister Sawada. Nobody seemed to have heard of him before. The kid was a complete unknown.

Except now to the guards and servants of this mansion, as the young heir had been whisked here for protection.

He was a weakling. Small, skinny, easily startled, clumsy.

Why did everything fall onto his lap when Hayato had to struggle for everything, just because his father was a jerk and hadn't married his mother?

He eyed the boy distainfully. Stupid little coward. Well, Hayato wouldn't bow and scrape for him.

"None of your business", he said. "Fuck off."

The boy tilted his head slightly. "You shouldn't be so angry at the world. It's not healthy."

"What?"

"Most people are good people inside, even if it doesn't always feel like it."

Oh, so he was _naive _too. Wonderful. "I fucking said it already: _Back. Off._ What do you know anyway? You're just a sheltered little country boy."

"I am", the boy said easily. "But I want to believe it anyway. Nobody can be nice to everyone, all the time. But it doesn't make them bad people. I think you know it too, or at least want to believe. You just don't want to admit it, because it would risk disappointment if you're proven wrong. And you've been disappointed so often already, you fear any more will break you."

"_Shut. Up._" Hayato said, pointing his gun at the boy. He hadn't even realized he'd drawn it.

The boys eyes went wide and he jumped up. For a brief moment Hayato thought he'd managed to spook the boy. Then the boy dashed towards him.

_What the hell?_

The boy bowled Hayato over and pushed him down. There was a shot and Hayato felt confused - didn't he still have the safety on? Then he saw the guards. Two of them walking towards them, weapons raised.

The boy got up. "It's okay!" He shouted. "He's not a threat!"

"Decimo, he just drew a gun on you!"

"It's just part of a training Reborn has me going through. He wants me to be prepared for attack from any angle. Look, the safety is still on, and his finger is not on the trigger!"

The two guards looked Hayato over with suspicious eyes, then lowered their weapons.

"You can go now", the boy said to them.

"Decimo…"

"I said, go. I'll go back to my rooms myself in a minute."

The guards left reluctantly. Hayato got up to his knees and holstered his gun.

_Why did he save me? I'd just drawn a gun on him!_

"Well it was kind of my fault anyway. I just kept pushing you. Although I didn't expect it to go so dramatically. You just looked like you needed to take out your anger at someone."

Hayato startled. Had he spoken out loud? He didn't think so. "And you put yourself into that position voluntarily?"

The boy just shrugged, looking minutely embarrassed.

Hayato took a deep breath to calm his still furiously beating heart and bowed his head. "I owe you my life. I'll be your faithful servant, Decimo."

"No, no, no! I don't need a servant!"

_What, so he doesn't want me either? Doesn't want a bastard with a bad reputation ruining his image?_

"I'd much rather have a friend."

"...What?" Hayato lifted his head to see the boy holding out his hand to him.

"You are right, I am in way over my head. I hardly know anyone around here and I'm completely ignorant of politics here. If you want to help, I will be glad to accept it - but I want you to help because you want to, not because any debt you wouldn't have if I'd just left you in peace in the first place. So, friends?"

Hayato stared dumbly at his hand throughout his speech. Then he numbly reached for it.

Their hands brushed each other and a current ran through Hayatos body. It felt energetic and strong and it raised the hairs on his neck up, yet it felt wonderful. Like sunlight after a long winter spent locked in a cellar. It felt like warmth and care of a loving family and the complete trust and acceptance of a best friend.

He lifted his head to see that the other boys eyes had widened.

"Storm?"

"Sky?"

The boy grabbed his hand and yanked him up and into a fierce hug. "Storm…"

"My sky", Hayato whispered back.

* * *

><p>"He will be my storm guardian."<p>

The tall and intimidating man turned to Hayato and he tried not to fidget. It was hard. This was Reborn, former Giglio Nero assassin and current close advisor of the Volgola Nono. He drew strength from his Skys presence and unwavering and proud stance.

"Hayato Gokudera? It is good that you have started to think of choosing your guardians, Tsuna", Reborn said. "And you certainly chose well. He is a promising young man, and your age, which is a bonus. But Tsuna, you can't decide these sorts of things impulsively. There are plenty of candidates…"

"Perhaps I didn't say it right", Tsuna said, his voice cold. "He is my storm guardian. He has been for a long time, only we're now making it official. This is not negotiable and I will accept no other."

Reborn turned back to Tsuna and Hayato shivered from the strength of his glare, even though it wasn't directed at him.

"Not negotiable?"

"Yes", Tsuna said. "_I _decide _my_ guardians. And, frankly, I think I have them all decided already. I just need to find them and ask if they accept."

"Explain."

Tsuna glanced at Hayato. "I will tell him", he said.

"Yes, my sky."

Tsuna turned back to Reborn and drew in a deep breath. Hayato could see he was gathering his courage. He could guess the reason. Hayato had sometimes talked about his dreams, when he was little. All he ever got was pats on the head and coos of 'so cute' and 'such an imagination'. Nobody ever took him seriously. He assumed his Sky had faced similar attitudes.

"I've had these - visions. Every night since I was about five years old. There are always the same people in them. We've called each other Sky, Storm, Rain, Cloud, Mist, Lightning and Sun. Anyway, we've spent every night together most of our lives. We practically grew up together, even if we do not know much about the everyday lives of each other."

"And you think these people are real?"

"Hayato _is _Storm", Tsuna said forcefully. "We both recognized each other at the same moment. I know him like the back of my hand, better than most siblings know each other. And there is no better Storm for me and no other Storm I would accept."

Reborn gave a sigh. "You are absolutely serious about this?"

"Of course."

"There is no precedent for anything like this."

"That we know of."

"And you want to find these others as well?"

"I will."

"How?"

"My intuition has been going haywire ever since we arrived here. I thought at first it had something to do with me being named the heir. But it didn't alarm me when you arrived to tell me, nor is it doing anything now. I think it was Hayatos presence. No doubt the others will give a similar sensation when I get close enough. And there are other things - I can sense them, sort of. My senses of Hayato are the strongest now. We could be on opposing sides of the country and I think I could still point at him and tell you how far he is. I can't sense the others nearly as clearly, probably because I've not met them face to face, but they can give me an idea of where to go. And I already have in mind where we should start."

Reborn nodded slowly. "I will go along for now. We will test this sense of yours between you two and try to find the others. If you can find them like you say and they are good material for guardians, they will get a chance."

Tsuna didn't look too happy with that, but seemed to accept is as the best he could get. "Hayato will move to my rooms today for the time we stay here. When can we leave?"

"Within a week. Where do you think we should start?"

"I need to check something first." Tsuna turned to Hayato. "Do you speak japanese?"

"Yes."

"When you were learning it, did it feel unnaturally easy for you? Like you were not really learning, just remembering things you'd learned before?"

"Yes, it kind of did."

"That's what it felt like for me as well! I thought at first it might be that my parents spoke japanese to me when I was too small to remember. But then I got thinking - how do we communicate amongst us anyway? We're not from the same part of the world, yet we've never had any language barriers. I do not think we actually speak any language as such. Maybe that is why exact words are so hard to remember in the morning, since there were no exact words in our language. Maybe one of the others is japanese, and we find it easy because we're kind of been exposed to it constantly during the nights. Does this sound plausible?"

Hayato smiled proudly. His Sky was amazing! "It could be."

"Then I think Japan would be a good place to start our search."


	3. Arc 1: Rain - Teamplay

_Arc I - Home is where your heart is  
>Second chapter - the Rain: Teamwork<em>

They arrived in Namimori only nine days later. Even if Tsuna and Hayato had only met recently, they acted like long lost friends, or perhaps brothers. Even Reborn had admitted that.

Tsunas intuition warned him of the presence of one of the others as soon as the train entered Namimori. Reborn rented them an apartment and they settled down and scouted the area. There weren't many schools in the area, and since Tsuna and Hayato knew the others should be close to their age, those schools seemed like a good place to start. So Reborn enrolled them to the biggest, Namimori middle, as temporary transfer students.

Tsuna and Hayato were set in different classes to maximize their chance of finding what they were looking for. They looked for people who felt familiar or whom they could read uncannily well.

It didn't take long for them to strike gold.

There was a popular baseball player on Tsunas class, Takeshi Yamamoto. He was often surrounded by other students and he often laughed and joked with them. Yet even when smiling, his eyes seemed so sad to Tsuna. Couldn't anyone see it? What kind of friends were they?

The final straw for Tsuna came three days after their enrollment. Yamamoto came to school with a broken arm. Instantly he was surrounded by well-wishers and fangirls. But it was the comment from another baseball player that set Tsuna off.

"How could you?" The player said. "Just before the match!"

"We were counting on you", another agreed.

Tsuna stood so suddenly his chair fell with a clang. "You were counting on him? Of course you were counting on him. He is your star, is he not? He is the best of you, is he not?"

There were numb nods from the students.

"But it is not his fault you are not as good! If you can't do without him, it just proves he is on another level completely and _you're _the ones dragging your team down! Baseball is a team sport, which means everybody puts effort in, which means _quit whining and go practice if the match is important for you!_"

There was stunned silence while Tsuna gathered his breath. Then he smiled to Yamamoto.

"Would you please have lunch with me and a friend of mine?"

* * *

><p>That was why, two hours later, the three of them were sitting together on floor of the school roof. Yamamoto was still smiling, but he hadn't lost the sad look in his eyes. Tsuna was fidgeting but wasn't really sure what to do about it. Hayato seemed content to watch from the sidelines.<p>

Finally Tsuna settled for straightforwardness.

"Yamamoto, are you all right? Is something bothering you?" When Yamamoto let out a laugh (which sounded so strained to Tsunas ears), he continued. "You don't have to act for us, Yamamoto. Please."

Slowly Yamamotos smile dropped a fraction. "Why did you ask me here? I'm no good at anything but baseball."

"I'm sure that is not true."

"It is. And well…" he looked at his arm, which was in a cast covered in scribbles left by enthusiastic girls. "It's not like I have that now either. Nothing to live for."

"That certainly isn't true!"

"Baseball was my life! Now I'm not any good at that either."

"And can you honestly say there is nothing more you wish to do or wish to accomplish? Nobody you wish to meet or speak with? Because as long as there is something, or someone, that means something for you… you'll be fine. Everyones life has ups and downs and sometimes the downs go so far it is hard to imagine any way of climbing up. But if you keep looking, there will be a way. You're not alone - there will be friends to help you with that."

Tsuna let Yamamoto digest his words for a moment, then reached out his hand. "Could I see your hand?"

This was apparently such a drastic change of topic that Yamamotos thoughts were completely derailed.

"Your hand, the healthy one. May I see it?"

Yamamoto reached it towards him. When he touched Tsunas hand, he shook violently and grabbed Tsunas hand so hard Tsuna could feel it losing circulation.

He didn't care. He could feel the familiar presence. Calming and cheerful, although with a strong sense of loneliness it didn't have in his dreams.

"Rain", he whispered.

Yamamoto - no, Takeshi - shook violently again, then spoke with a small and almost inaudible voice. "Sky?"

"Yes. You're not alone, Rain. We are always with you - now just during the day as well as during the night."

Takeshi started shaking violently with the force of his sobs and tears ran down his face. Tsuna scooted closer and wrapped his free arm around him.

"Come here, Storm", he said quietly.

Hayato approached and Tsuna placed their hands together, then wrapped his other arm around Takeshi as well.

He let Takeshi cry on his shoulder for a long time, smiling at Hayato all the while.

"Things are going to be better", he whispered. His intuition was silent once more.

* * *

><p>When Yamamoto finally started to calm down, Tsuna turned to Hayato. "Can you call Reborn? Tell him we found Rain and ask if he can get someone to pick up our bags and give an excuse that lets us miss the rest of classes today. Say we promise to catch up on schoolwork next weekend."<p>

Hayato nodded and did as asked. "He says he'll do it if we go to him now and introduce him to Rain."

Tsuna nodded. "That is fine." He drew slightly back from Takeshi, who was still resting his forehead on Tsunas shoulder. "Rain? How about we show you where we are staying right now and introduce you to my tutor? Then you can show us where you live afterwards."

And so they made their way back to the apartment. Takeshi had his arm wrapped around Tsunas shoulders and was gripping Hayatos hand like he was afraid they would disappear otherwise. Hayato griped and scowled all the way to the apartment, but Tsuna knew he wasn't really angry. Just a bit out of his element.

"He is great assassin material", Reborn said after looking Takeshi over.

"Don't -" Tsuna started, but Reborn talked over him.

"He's observant, charming and knows how to appear harmless. He has good instincts and is in good physical condition. And he feels detached from people."

Takeshis eyes followed him warily as Reborn walked around him.

"Stop that, Reborn!" Tsuna snapped. "Even if you've been an assassin, I won't let you push my friends into that kind of life!"

"You may need it one day", Reborn said. "There is no Varia anymore for you to use, not after their officers were all put under house arrest for life."

"That is a problem for another time. If Takeshi lets you teach him how to defend himself, that is fine. But not - that."

"Well, if he is to hang out with you, he will certainly need to defend himself sooner or later. I don't doubt there are assassins after you - they've just yet to find you."

"Assassins?" Takeshi said sharply. "What is this?"

"I…" Tsuna sighed. "How about you show us where you live and we'll spend the evening swapping our life stories? We can spend the night with you, if you want. Then tomorrow we can stay here and plan where to go next weekend."

"You're leaving?" Takeshi said. It almost broke Tsunas heart how scared he sounded.

"Just for the weekend, and you can - should - come along with us. Hayato and I set out to find all of us. I think there is one somewhere north from here, so for now we'll spend weekends looking for him and weekdays going to school and training."

Takeshi nodded. "Yes. We need to find the others. If they are anywhere near as lonely as I was, then we need to find them soon."

* * *

><p>"Dad?"<p>

Tsuyoshi Yamamoto turned to see his son coming down the stairs in his pyjamas. Takeshi looked unusually serious, but that didn't bother Tsuyoshi because he also looked content. There was no falsely cheerful facade which had become the norm.

"What is it, Takeshi?"

"I want you to teach me the sword."

There was a short silence. Tsuyoshi didn't ask if his son was serious, because he had never seen him as serious before. "You will need to work hard. I will not tolerate half-measures. It may take away time from baseball practice and your time with your friends." Though not too much, because Tsuyoshi wanted to see Takeshi happy.

Takeshi nodded and seemed resigned to it. "Also, when Tsuna returns to Europe, I want to follow him."

That was a surprise to Tsuyoshi, though as he thought about it, perhaps it shouldn't have been.

"I'm not going to forbid you", he said slowly. "But you will tell me in advance when you know when you're leaving so that we can arrange things."

Takeshi seemed relieved. "Thanks, dad."

"Go to sleep. We will start working toward swordsmanship next week and begin serious training once your arm is healed."

Takeshi nodded and returned upstairs.

Tsuyoshi sat down. This confirmed what he had been suspecting - these Tsuna and Hayato were involved in something dangerous. Tsuyoshi had seen more than his fair share of fighting and war and hadn't missed that both of the boys were armed, even if the weapons were well hidden.

He hoped Takeshi wouldn't get hurt. But he wouldn't stop Takeshi from making his own decisions. Today Takeshi had brought friends home for the first time in years and smiled so honestly it had brought tears in Tsuyoshis eyes.

For making that happen, he was willing to forgive Tsuna and Hayato almost anything.


	4. Arc 1: Sun - New life ahead, old behind

_Arc I - Home is where your heart is  
>Third chapter - the Sun: New life ahead and old left behind<em>

Ryohei had always been rather curious about anything out of usual. Normal things tended to blend into background with him, but new and weird things caught and kept his attention. The same was true with people.

So when, in late July, he caught sight of four people, one of who was dressed in a suit and shooting at the others, one who carried a bamboo sword and one who seemed to carry a gun and bombs, they stayed in his mind.

He was almost curious enough to start following them, but then he remembered he had boxing practice. He was the captain, he couldn't be late!

* * *

><p>A few weeks later, in early September, he met the same strangers again during his morning jog. Surprisingly they joined him, or at least three of them did. The man with the suit stayed behind while the other three started jogging alongside him. Ryohei didn't really understand why - one of them was laughing, true, but the two others just had suffering and resigned expressions.<p>

"Good morning", the shortest of the boys said. He was already panting a bit from keeping up with Ryohei. "Are you Sasagawa Ryohei?"

"I am!" Ryohei said. None of the boys winced at his volume, which many people did, though one rolled his eyes. Ryohei saw that a lot, too, but this time it didn't seem dismissive or malicious. "Who are you to the extreme?"

"I am Sky, these are Rain and Storm."

That almost gave Ryohei a heart attack and he slowed down. The smallest boy - Sky - seemed to let out a breath of relief and the two others seemed to be judging his reaction.

"Sky?" Ryohei said.

"Well, Tsuna to most people, but that is what my friends have called me. Can we… stop for a bit?"

Ryohei stopped. Sky leaned on a nearby fence for a bit and caught his breath, then straightened up and offered Ryohei his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Ryohei."

Ryohei took the offered hand and felt at home.

"Extreme!" He shouted and grabbed all three of them in a group hug. Rain was laughing, like he often was. Storm cursed at him and put up a fight, but there seemed to be a reluctant amusement and relief behind the scowl. Sky just smiled and Ryohei could hardly turn his eyes from that smile.

"Found you, Sun", he said with fondness.

* * *

><p>"You're going back to Namimori tomorrow?"<p>

"Yes. We will likely be there for a few weeks and think of where to go next, then leave together to look for Cloud, Lightning and Mist. We can visit you here on weekends if you want."

"No need! I'm coming with you to the extreme!"

"But… you have school here, and that boxing club of yours."

"Who cares about school!"

Storm snorted and Rain nodded, but Sky seemed hesitant. "But…"

"And I can box there as well as I can here!"

The tall man dressed in a suit seemed amused. "It would be good for you to practice some boxing, Tsuna."

Sky leveled the suit-man with a hurt look.

"Extreme! I can help you practice!"

"Sun…" Sky sounded hesitant. "What of your family? We met your sister yesterday, you know. We all were very fond of her at first sight. It was what led us to finding you. We know you care about her."

Ryohei deflated a tiny bit. He couldn't protect Kyoko if he wasn't close by. What to do?

"You could take her with you if you want", Sky said. "I don't mind, take anyone you want, I'll pay for it. But is she better off here? It might be less risky to leave her here."

"If she is with you, at least you can protect her", the suit-man said as he hit Sky softly on the top of his head.

What followed was an explanation of who Sky was. Sky explained Vongola royals always had six guardians, and he had hoped Ryohei would be his sun guardian.

"But you don't have to accept or anything! We'll always be there for you anyway. You're our Sun, our friend."

"Of course I'll be your guardian."

Sky seemed taken aback. Ryohei could see the insecurity deep in him. Even though Sky had decided to ask them as guardians, he was still second-guessing himself. Doubting.

He was not yet feeling like a royal heir, even if he acted the part. He was using this journey to find them, yes, but also to gather his resolve and convince himself he could do it.

Ryohei didn't see any need to doubt his own desicion. He had trained to become strong partly because he loved boxing, but partly to protect his cute little sister. Sky was just as important to him as his sister was, and he'd never hesitate to use his strength for his Sky.

"That's great!" Rain said enthusiastically. "You can come stay at my place while we're in Namimori. I'm sure dad won't mind!"

"That is good." Sky flashed a bright smile at Rain and Ryohei found his spirits soaring again.

Although he still needed to decide what to do with Kyoko.

* * *

><p>Later in the day they all went to have dinner with Ryoheis family and he enthusiastically told his parents he would be moving out of home the next day. His parents didn't like it at all, but Reborn (Sky had finally introduced him) took them to another room for a chat and after that they agreed reluctantly.<p>

Kyoko was somewhat silent after the declaration, though she did make an effort to make their guests feel welcome. She was such a sweet girl.

In the end Sky, Rain, Storm and Reborn left to sleep at their hotel.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ryoheis father asked.

"To the extreme!"

"Why?"

Ryohei looked at him seriously. "To help my friends and to be with them."

His mother looked really sad, almost about to burst into tears, but tried to smile. "Go to sleep, both of you. I'll help you pack tomorrow."

Ryohei kind of wanted to stay and comfort him, but his father shooed them away. He retreated to the upper floor, followed by Kyoko.

"Big brother?"

"Yes, Kyoko?"

"You must call me every day. I need to know that you're all right. And - and - maybe when I'm done with school, I can follow you there. I've always wanted to visit Europe, right? To dance and perform there. And maybe we'll take mom and dad with us too… The two of us can help to pay for things for them..."

She seemed really sad and Ryohei had to struggle with himself. He wanted her to come with them. Now was the time to say she could, that his Sky was okay with it.

But she had friends here, and mom and dad had their jobs. Wasn't it better this way?

He reached to pet her hair. "We'll do that."

They shared a sad, sad smile.


	5. Arc 1: Cloud - Nature of Family

_Arc I - Home is where your heart is  
>Fourth chapter - the Cloud: Nature of Family<em>

During the following weeks Reborn ran Tsuna through the basics of several major languages. None of them were as easy to him as japanese had been, but there was one that stood out. Chinese.

It was completely possible that one of them only spoke chinese without actually living there, but it was their best bet. Tsuna didn't feel any of his guardians close enough that he could guess where they were, and hadn't felt any but Ryohei during their travels in Japan. Which meant that staying in Japan wouldn't get them anywhere.

They still stayed until Takeshi had finished his training with the sword. It made Reborn relatively happy as well, since he had plenty of time to train Tsuna during those weeks.

Halfway through October they bid goodbye to Takeshis father and a plane took them to China.

* * *

><p>"I've got an old friend living here", Reborn said. "A martial artist. We should visit him. Maybe he can train you a bit as well."<p>

Tsuna nodded. He didn't mind (unless the said friend was a worse torturer than Reborn). They had been in China for four days, following Tsunas feeling. But now his intuition was telling him they were close, so there was no hurry to move on.

The friend, Fon, turned out to be actually quite polite and sweet-tempered, as was his little apprentice I-Pin. Although Fon did have a nephew living with him who was anything but. Within the first day, Fon had to break up two confrontations between the nephew and Hayato and one between the nephew and Ryohei. Luckily none of them came to blows, but it was close.

It was no surprise that this situation couldn't last.

It actually started quite innocently, with the nephew demanding to fight Reborn. Reborn refused, but Ryohei decided he needed a spar - and apparently a good place for one was right then and there.

Since Ryohei had started the fight, Tsuna watched from the sidelines as he took several minor blows. But as a tonfa headed towards Ryoheis head with alarming force, he couldn't help but to step in. They were his friends - his to protect.

* * *

><p>Kyoya didn't care at all for the group that had invaded his uncles home. He had come here to train (and because his parents thought it was best for him to go away for a while lest he was arrested), but now there were four herbivores demanding uncles attention and crowding the place. The herbivores weren't even the quiet and respectful kind. Anything but.<p>

One of them was a loud animal, one was seemed to actually think he was a carnivore, one was way too touchy-feely and one was quiet and timid, like a mouse.

At least they had brought with them one true carnivore. So when his training session with uncle Fon was given to the brash herbivore, he went to ask for sparring with him instead. After all, nobody took what was his without paying something in return.

And then the loud animal started a fight and there was a lesson to be taught about the food chain. It wasn't that hard. The herbivore could hold his own for only a moment and wasn't at any point even close to landing any blows on him.

He was just about to deliver the final blow when someone yanked the loud herbivore out of the way.

"Isn't that enough?" The timid little herbivore said. "Ryohei lost already."

Well, it looked like there was more than met the eye in this mouse. Maybe he should see what it was like when he was pushed into a corner.

He attacked. The mouse jumped back and out of the way, almost lost his footing and then threw himself away when Kyoya pursued. The smiling herbivore had gone serious and both he and the loud herbivore seemed to step forward, but the carnivore in a suit waved them back.

"This is good for Tsuna", the carnivore said.

"Tsuna?" The not-anymore-smiling herbivore said. It sounded like he was awaiting orders.

"Stay back", the mouse said between grunts. He didn't have time for anything more, since Kyoya hadn't slowed his attack at all. He had to admit the little mouse was fast, but he hadn't done anything even resembling an attack. Kyoya didn't give him a chance.

Then the mouse tripped. Kyoya almost snarled in irritation. He had just started to have fun, too.

He stepped in to deliver a kick. The mouse grabbed his ankle and pushed him backwards. He was surprisingly strong and Kyoya barely caught his footing.

Then the mouse grabbed his other ankle and dragged both of them forward until Kyoya hit the floor.

He kicked his legs free and was up in a second, but the mouse was a bit faster. He hit the mouse in the stomach with a tonfa as he rose, even as the mouse took hold of his wrist and started to turn it to disarm him.

His bare wrist. There was an almost audible snap in the air between them and the mouse let go of his wrist like it had burned him.

Kyoya thought of where he had felt this feeling before.

"...Cloud?" The mouse said quietly.

Well that was a surprise. He lowered his weapons a tiny fraction.

The mouse seemed to take that as an invitation and jumped at him, wrapping his hands around his neck.

"Sky."

He was torn between tearing the boy off him and hugging back. He hated these kind of affectionate gestures, but on the other hand… this was Sky.

Another arm wrapped around his shoulders. The smiling herbivore, whom he now recognized as Rain, who was all smiles again. "Haha, we looked for you in all the wrong places and you were here all along!"

"Get off me", he said, with his best glare. It didn't have any effect.

"Extreme!" The loud herbivore exclaimed and bumped his fist at Kyoyas shoulder. Sun. "You are extremely strong, Cloud! We need to spar again!"

He turned his glare, but Sun seemed to be immune to it as well. So he hit both him and Rain over the head.

Without his tonfas.

Rain just laughed harder and Sun grinned wider.

Really, now he understood why people told him siblings were irritating as hell.


	6. Arc 1: Mist - Prelude to Trouble

_Arc I - Home is where your heart is  
><em>_Fifth chapter - the Mist: Prelude to Trouble_

In the end, they didn't have to worry about finding Mist. Mist found them.

They had been putting off leaving for a few weeks. Partly because Reborn really appreciated having Fons help in training his five students (they had Fon focusing on Hayato and Kyoya while Reborn trained Ryohei, Tsuna and Takeshi) and partly because Tsuna had absolutely no idea where to go. There were no more easy languages that could give hints. Both Mist and Lightning were too far for him to even guess which direction to go.

Until one morning, when he woke up with his intuition screaming at him. He jumped up and almost tripped over Takeshi, who was sleeping on a mattress laid on the floor next to the sofa he slept in.

He woke up all his friends (Reborn insisted to call them his guardians, but despite what Tsuna had said to Reborn, he wasn't really confident he could be emperor and therefore have guardians). All while they dressed he was terrified Mist or Lightning, whichever was close, would go away without them finding him. What if he was in a train that just passed through? What if he was on a plane that just refueled here?

But as minutes passed and his intuition continued to warn him, he started to feel calmer. Surely if he was going to leave right away it would have already happened?

They were just about to leave (even Kyoya, who had almost beheaded Tsuna when woken) when there was a knock on the door. They could hear someone, probably Fon, opening the front door seconds later.

"Good morning, is Sky here?"

Tsuna broke into a run.

* * *

><p>Even though Mukuro had known where to find Sky it didn't mean he wasn't relieved when they finally saw each other. Mostly the relief was because his Sky recognized him. He had been afraid Sky wouldn't, and then there would be all kinds of awkward explanations and doubt and he didn't even bear to think on how that would feel.<p>

He was a bit out of balance when his Skys first reaction was to hug him. Not 'how did you find me' or 'why are you here' or anything else. Just a big hug and then he was already being tugged inside.

"Ah -" He glanced out at the bushes where Ken and Chikusa were hiding.

"Hm?" Sky said. "Is there someone else here?"

Then he went straight to the bushes and dragged Chikusa and Ken inside, despite Kens violent protests.

It was bizarre.

The teens that had followed Sky all greeted Mukuro as he stepped inside. Storm and Sun shook hands with him, Cloud hit him lightly over the head and complained about being woken up and Rain wrapped an arm around his shoulders and marched him to kitchen before he could protest.

Ken and Chikusa were already sitting at the table, the former looking mutinous, as Sky served them breakfast.

"I don't want your bloody breakfast!" Ken shouted.

"Oh, you're not hungry?" Sky said.

"Not!"

"Not believing a word", Sky said, then pushed Ken back to his chair. "Mist, come and have breakfast!"

Mukuro allowed himself to be manhandled to a chair next to Ken. He was feeling a bit irritated, a bit amused and a whole lot out of balance.

And maybe a bit touched.

He was, however, mostly just grateful that the questions still didn't come and nobody questioned their scruffy and underfed appearance.

When everyone had sat down for breakfast, they had introductions. Nobody reacted to Mukuros name, which probably meant that they were either far more ignorant than he had expected or he was far less infamous than he thought.

"It's wonderful that you found us", Sky - or Tsuna - said. He had a bright, honest smile. "I had no idea where to look for you. Did you know we were looking for you?"

"Ah, no." Time to face the music. "I actually came here with a request."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Ken and Chikusa. Can you take them in and look after them?"

Ken and Chikusa startled. He hadn't told them about this. Tsuna looked at them, questions in his eyes.

"Sure."

He felt a small amount of relief. Half the job done.

"Mukuro!" Ken exclaimed. Mukuro lifted his hand to silence him.

"Another thing. There is a girl in Japan. He has been calling me in my dreams recently."

Tsunas eyebrows rose. He wasn't the only one who seemed surprised.

"She needs help. She was hit by a car and is in a hospital. Several of her organs are beyond repair. Her parents left her to die."

"Of course we will help."

Mukuro nodded. "Her name is Nagi and she is in a hospital right next to Tokyo Tower."

He hadn't expected this to be so easy. Something always went wrong. But it seemed his Sky was still as kind-hearted as always. It almost made him envy Ken and Chikusa.

"But Mukuro - you haven't said anything about yourself. Where are you going?"

The Vindice was after him. He couldn't stay. He was risking them all even now.

He tried to figure out what to say, when there was a cold voice from behind him.

"Mukuro Rokudo. Vendicare escapee and mass murderer."

He felt a gun being pressed at the back of his head.

Ken and Chikusa jumped up, ready to defend him, but didn't dare to move when another gun was leveled in their direction.

"What are you doing?" Sky had stood as well and was rounding the table towards them. His eyes were fierce. Mukuro found he couldn't look away from them.

"Reborn, put the guns down this instant!"

"Shut up, Tsuna! You have no idea who this guy is!"

"He is my Mist!"

There was a silence. Mukuro took advantage of that to speak. "No need to quarrel over me. I got what I wanted. If you just remove the gun from my head, I will leave."

"Nobody goes anywhere until I've had some answers!" Sky snapped. "Reborn, sit down!"

"Your _Mist_", the person behind Mukuro said, "is a convicted mass murderer who escaped from Vendicare, an international top-security prison."

Sky turned to look at Mukuro. "The people you killed, were they the ones hurting you?"

"Yes."

Sky nodded. "Then they better be glad they're dead already and I can't get my hands on them anymore."

Quite a few people choked at that, Ken and the person behind Mukuro included. After a moment the guns were lowered.

"Hmph. Maybe you have the guts to be the emperor after all."

_Emperor?_

Sky apparently read his bafflement from his expression. "I've been recently made the heir to Vongola Empire." Skys expression was conflicted.

Well that was something.

"Reborn, there is a girl in Tokyo we need to help. I think it would be better if we went there personally to ensure everything happens right. We are in a hurry, can we leave today?"

"...I'll get us a flight. You better have a good explanation."

Mukoro rose up and dusted his faded green jacket. "Well, I will take my leave then. Ken, Chikusa, behave."

Sky grabbed his wrist. "You're not going anywhere."

"You're delusional if you think you can order me around."

"And you're delusional if you think I'll let you go anywhere if you are in any kind of danger."

He simply knew no appropriate reaction for that.

* * *

><p>"So, this Vindice is a kind of international special ops?" Tsuna said. "They handle high-profile police cases all around the world?"<p>

"Precisely", Reborn said. "They are completely independent from any government, although they have been known to take on extra cases and prisoners in exchange for donations. Mukuros case was high profile because the victims were an entire high-born family and all their associates."

"And did he have a fair trial?"

"He had a trial. I would have to look on it to comment further."

"And he got sentenced for life, even though he was underage?"

"There were a lot of dead. And they didn't die easily."

"I still don't understand why they would be determined to have him back."

"It is a public relations disaster. Nobody has ever broken out of Vendicare before and they were even paid by his home country to keep him there."

"Can't we just pay them to stop the hunt?"

Reborn chuckled. "If people thought they could be bought that way their reputation would be in shambles. After all, criminals have money too. A lot of it."

"Right." Tsuna hung his head. "We're still keeping him."

"Not - a - dog", Mukuro ground out from next to Tsuna.

"Sure you aren't", Kyoya said, smirking.

"Says the rabid bat."

"Bat?" Tsuna said curiously over whatever Kyoya answered.

"He bites people and has a thing for swooping dramatically."

"Hmm", Takeshi said. "I can kind of see that."

"Biting you all to death", Kyoya hissed.

"See?" Mukuro said lightly. "He proves my point."

"We're here", Reborn said.

They all got out of the car. Reborn had called ahead and had Nagi transferred to the best private hospital in the area and gotten a search for new organs started, although it might be some time before they were all found and delivered.

Reborn went to the reception desk and got them the room number. Outside a nurse intercepted them and told them that only three visitors at a time were allowed in.

"You go", Tsuna said to Mukuro. "You came here for her. Take Chikusa and Ken with you."

Ken started to protest being ordered around but Mukuro just shrugged and went in. Chikusa and Ken followed after.

Chikusa and Ken came back out soon and Tsuna and Reborn entered next.

The girl was really, really pale. She had long, sleek dark hair that really emphasized it too. Her features were round and still a bit childish, but she was still pretty.

Mukuro held her hand gently. It didn't really surprise Tsuna - Mist always liked to seem tough, but he was still very kind. Not that he wasn't strong. Tsuna knew his Mist had gone through a lot, even if he might never know the details.

"Hey, Nagi", Tsuna said calmly and sat next to the bed. The girl looked at him for a second with the one unbandaged eye and then looked away again. At her and Mukuros clasped hands.

He smiled at his Mist, who rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>It took two days to get organs for Chrome, as the girl was now called. They had all noticed how she sometimes flinched at being called Nagi, so Mukuro had named her again and the girl had latched on the name like it was her lifeline.<p>

Perhaps, in a way, it was.

The surgery took hours. Periodically one of them would go and ask the reception desk if there had been any complications. Luckily there weren't.

When they were allowed to see Chrome again she was deathly pale, had a breathing tube down her throat and so many monitors on her that the room was full of them.

It took her ten weeks to be released from the hospital. It was actually quite fast, considering how injured she had been. She still wasn't allowed to do much, had several medications and needed frequent check-ups, but she looked far more healthy. She was more lively too, even though she was still very shy.

It wasn't until the end february that they dared to risk travel. But at least this time they knew where they were going. Mukuro, who both understood and controlled whatever connection they had better than any of the others, had pinpointed the location of their Lightning.

Problem was, he was in a country that was decidedly not on friendly terms with Vongola and on very friendly terms with Vindice.


	7. Arc1 Lightning - Underneath the Pretense

_Act I - Home is where your heart is  
>Sixth chapter - the Lightning: Underneath the Pretense<em>

"Are you sure you want to come?" Tsuna asked for the thirteenth time.

"Yes", Mukuro snapped. He really appreciated that his Sky worried for them, but it was damn irritating at times! "We have gone this through."

"Okay, okay. I just..:"

"Quit yammering", Kyoya said from where he was doing the homework Reborn had assigned. Kyoya, Takeshi, Ryohei and Chrome were all learning italian, which was the official language of Vongola. "Or I'll bite you to death."

Tsuna made a zipping motion over his mouth and quieted. Mukuro was so grateful he didn't even tease Kyoya for his favourite phrase.

Reborn walked into the room. He had used his contacts to get them passports that showed them as Giglio Nero citizens. Giglio Nero was a neighbour of Gesso, where they were going, and on friendly terms with it. Reborn himself and Mukuro were too notorious to get away with fake passports. They would be smuggled in, along with Ken and Chikusa, just in case.

"Okay", Tsuna breathed. "Time to split up, then?"

"Yep. We'll meet you tomorrow night like planned."

"Okay." He watched as Mukuro, Ken and Chikusa rose and started to follow Reborn out. "Take care!" He called after them.

Kyoya hit him over the head with a book. "Quit worrying. The dog can take care of itself."

* * *

><p>The morning had started completely normally for Shoichi. He had gotten up, kicked his roommate up, taken a shower, eaten breakfast and gone to class.<p>

Well, intended to. Byakuran had called him on the way there and asked him to run an errand. You didn't say no to King Byakuran Gesso unless you wanted him to make your life very unpleasant, so Shoichi just sighed and resigned himself.

"What do you want me to do? What? Marshmallows? Fine, not my fault if your teeth rot."

"If my teeth rot, I'll ask you to build me another set! Extra-special teeth even! Maybe mirrors in them - it would be amusing to see others try not to stare at them. Or -"

Shoichi felt sorry he didn't have an ancient phone he could slam the receiver down on as he hung up.

So, marshmallows for breakfast. Not the _most _bizarre thing he'd seen Byakuran do, but why had he asked Shoichi for this? He had servants for this sort of stuff.

He left the building with two of the bodyguards Byakuran had assigned for him. He seriously doubted there were any candy stores open at this hour, so a big convenience store would have to do. There was one on the way to the skyscraper Byakuran lived in.

He had just exited the store, stuffing marshmallow bags into his schoolbag, when he heard two thumps behind him.

He turned partway to see the bodyguards on the ground and a tall, asian-looking boy. The boy grinned at him, then snatched Shoichis phone from his pocket and threw it away. Then the boy grabbed his arm and started running, dragging Shoichi with him.

"Hey, what -"

"Come on now, Lightning", the boy said. "We shouldn't keep Sky waiting!"

Shoichi gaped and stumbled as he was being dragged along. First he was being kidnapped, then now_ what?_

The boy laughed at the high-pitched squeak Shoichi let out. "Yeah, I was a bit surprised too when Sky found me. He'll explain, come on!"

Shoichi tried to see any sense in this whole business and failed.

They didn't go that far. They skipped in and out of early morning crowds and entered an underground parking lot through a door Shoichi was sure should've been locked. The stairs were dim - a few of the lamps had burned out. Shoichi hesitated a bit until the boy pushed him towards them, gently but insistently.

It occured to Shoichi he wasn't handling this very well. He should've shouted for help on the streets! Tried to resist more! He just had a hard time thinking of the boy as a threat. Must be the grin.

Downstairs there was a group of people he had a much easier time taking seriously. In the center of the group was a small boy with messy brown hair and warm eyes. He didn't look a bit intimidating, even if the people surrounding him did. Even the frail-looking girl was a bit scary with her expressionless face.

The small boy smiled at Shoichi and offered his hand. "Hello Lightning."

"Why do you call me that?" Shoichi demanded.

"Just take his hand", another dark-haired asian boy said and pushed Shoichi forward roughly.

Shoichi did as he was told.

He felt - warm. Like the smile a mother gives her newborn child. Unconditionally happy.

He stumbled backwards. "What the hell was that?"

A silver-haired boy scowled at him and the boy who had brought him here looked slightly worried.

"I'm Sky", the short boy said. "That is Storm, and Rain, Mist, Cloud and Sun. Do you not remember us?"

"Those are the names the imaginary friends I came up with as a child. I do not know how you know of them, but -"

Rain grabbed his hand and Shoichi quieted as a calm washed over him. And why had he called the kid Rain, even inside his head?

"Imaginary?" Storm said. "Really? Then I suppose it is impossible for me to know about how you told me your dream was to become a musician until you won an engineering competition on sixth grade? Or about how your big sister once dyed your hair blue during the night because you dropped a vase her boyfriend had given her as a gift?"

Impossible. It was impossible.

"Shou-chan, you never told me that! How could you!"

Shoichi looked at his shoe, which had said that. In Byakurans voice.

"Byakuran?"

"Well hello to you, Shou-chan. Where are my marshmallows?"

"They're… coming. I just had a detour."

"Oh I _know_."

There were steps from the entrance they had used.

"I suppose I can forgive you for fraternizing with the enemy." Byakurans voice came now from the stairs. "But not prioritizing my marshmallows is a serious offence."

Shoichi decided to disregard that remark as something struck him. "Byakuran, do you have a tracker on my _shoes?_"

Byakuran stopped on the foot of the stairs and pouted. Several armed men followed him. "Irrelevant. We were talking about marshmallows, Shou-chan! Marshmallows!"

Shouichi tried not to grimace as threw Byakuran a bag of marshmallows.

"Good", Byakuran said and turned to Sky. "Welcome to Gesso, Tsunayoshi Sawada, heir of the Vongola Empire. Now that I have my marshmallows…" He threw a quick glance at the gaping Shoichi. "Shoot them all."

The parking lot exploded into chaos. Someone grapped Shoichi and threw him aside. The bullet that had been headed for his gut hit him in the arm instead.

He could barely see several figures fighting and Byakurans smiling face before someone shot the last lights down and the world went dark.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry", Sky said while wrapping the wound on Shoichis arm. "It was my fault. We shouldn't have come."<p>

Shoichi fingered the hem of the shirt Sky had loaned him with his free hand. He had had to ditch all his clothes and even his glasses in fear of further trackers.

"It is not in any way your fault, Sky", Storm said. He had several long scrapes, but had escaped any serious wounds. "It was all that bastard Byakuran. Gesso is not at war with us - we couldn't have anticipated this."

Rain nodded. He had a bullet wound at his hip, but it was barely worse than a scrape.

"We didn't expect to be found at all. How did he know?" Mist said. He was uninjured, as were the girl, Sky, Cloud and the man introduced as Reborn. Sun had a wound on his leg, but seemed to barely notice it. Mists friends had several wounds, but nothing life-threatening.

Shoichi still couldn't believe they had gotten out at all, let alone relatively unharmed. He had seen Mist, Cloud and Rain deflecting bullets with their weapons at an amazing speed. Any wounds had been taken right at the beginning, before they got into position to protect the others while they first retreated, then fought their way out.

"It seemed planned", Reborn admitted. "But if it actually was, I think we would be dead. He could've brought far more men than he did, if he had enough warning."

Sky shrugged. "First things first. Do you think our planned way of getting out of the country is secure?"

"I wouldn't risk it", Reborn said. "I'll contact a few people in Vongola and see if we can get a boat or a submarine to pick us up somewhere." He walked to the other end of the empty warehouse while digging his phone out.

"Right", Sky sighed. "Lightning, I think it is obvious you should leave the country with us."

Shoichi nodded numbly. He had trouble believing this was all real.

"I'm so sorry, this wasn't at all how things were supposed to go. Do you… have family they can try to hold hostage, or something?"

"My sister and mother are in Japan, visiting moms relatives", he said dully.

"That is good. Do you think you can talk them into not coming back if we get them on the phone?"

"I have to try, obviously."

"Right you are." Sky got up and looked around him. "Ryohei, get off of that leg. You may need to use it later, so rest it while you can. Ken, Chikusa, are you okay? Have all your wounds been bandaged?"

Shoichi shut his voice out. He always functioned best when there was something to be done, so he started to plan what to tell to his mother. He faintly heard Reborns footsteps echoing as he walked back.

"Tsuna. We need to get back to Vongola. There is trouble brewing there as well."

"What?"

"Xanxus has escaped."


	8. Interlude I - Xanxus

**AN: Well the first chapter of Arc II is still only halfway finished, because I've been having trouble with writing Xanxus. My Xanxus is still temperamental and proud but far more likely to act refined. He has been raised in court politics, not mafia. As an emperor you can't just shoot everyone who displeases you. Well maybe Xanxus could, but he's not going down that road. It doesn't lead anywhere good.**

**Still, at least this came out of my struggles to find a voice for him!**

**Also, thought I'd make one thing clear. Tsuna has no dying will flame, but he does have a supernatural connection to his guardians. Similarly Byakuran DOES NOT have his canon powers, so he can't see in parallel worlds. But he does have something. You'll find out when Tsuna does, or maybe you can guess from hints earlier.**

* * *

><p><em><span>Interlude I<span>_

_Seventeen years ago_

Normally Xanxus liked to sleep late. In fact, most days he would've been happy not to get up at all. But on his ninth birthday, he was up almost before the sunrise, speeding through the halls in his pajamas.

He didn't bother slowing when he heard his father shout and eventually slammed forcefully on Enricos door with a thud. The door was locked, but Xanxus had a key he had swiped from Enricos desk years ago. He was sure Enrico knew he had it, but had never bothered to ask it back.

The front room was dark and the air smelled a bit stale. Xanxus scrunched his nose. The servants hadn't bothered to ventilate the room properly, probably because of the big thunderstorm that was roaring outside for the third day in row.

He jogged on light feet through the rooms to Enricos bedroom. The heavy oaken door opened effortlessly.

The bedroom was dark and the bed was empty.

Xanxus scowled. Enrico had promised to be home for his birthday. He had promised to bring Xanxus a _really _good present, too!

He felt like kicking something. It was an usual occurrence, but usually he wanted to kick Frederico or one of his tutors. Maybe Massimo, if he was on a particularly bad mood, or father when he forced them to attend state functions and parties. Enrico usually never irritated him, because Enrico was _cool_. He had taught Xanxus how to shoot when he was seven, could kick the asses of all their martial arts tutors and carried three guns and a sword at all times. He was Xanxus' favorite brother by far.

"Xanxus?" It was Massimo, looking in from the door. Xanxus had left it open in his haste.

Xanxus grunted in acknowledgement and turned. On an impulse he opened the high, latticed windows in the front room. Wind and rain blew in and Xanxus felt he was soaked in seconds. So what? If Enrico didn't want his rooms to get cold and wet, he'd better hurry back.

Massimo looked at Xanxus, who was now dripping water on the carpet, and shrugged. "Let's go to breakfast."

Xanxus grunted again and shuffled past Massimo with his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants. Father would have been disappointed and lectured him on the importance of image. Frederico would have found it infuriating and ordered him to stop. Massimo didn't care. He just turned and made his way to the breakfast room.

Father was there already. He was dressed in a fancy suit with lots of hanging golden chains, a long cloak and white gloves which were close to dropping out of a pocket. Massimo was dressed far more practically, in a light thigh-length jacket and freshly pressed trousers. Xanxus thought he could see a gun in a thigh holster on his right side. Massimo was a good shooter, as good as Enrico.

Xanxus and Massimo ate quietly. Servants whisked in and out of the room and fathers storm guardian reported on the results of some meeting Xanxus wasn't even remotely interested in. Father left soon with one last disapproving glance at Xanxus' pajamas.

_Maybe I'll keep them on all day_, Xanxus thought mutinously. Someone other than him should have a bad day as well. And it _was_ his birthday. Maybe he could spin that to his advantage.

Frederico entered the room, dressed in red and gold. He'd apparently gotten his hair cut again. It was the thirteenth time this year. Xanxus had to keep count, because he and Enrico had a bet. Enrico thought Frederico would cut his hair at least fifteen times a year, Xanxus bet it was at least twenty. Massimo was keeping count for them as well.

"Oh, it's the kid. Why are you in your pajamas?" Frederico turned to the butler who was standing next to the wall. "Ilario, can you take the kid to his room and see that he is dressed?"

Xanxus glared at Frederico. "I can handle myself, peacock."

"Just be a good boy and listen to Ilario", Frederico said. He probably wanted to sound brotherly, but it came out incredibly patronizing. Then he turned back to Ilario and started a lecture on how Xanxus was to be dressed and what he was _not under any circumstances _allowed to wear. Massimo snorted at the mention of the hazmat suit Xanxus owned. He had worn that on Fredericos last birthday. Fredericos expression had been hilarious.

"Fuck you!" Xanxus growled. "I can dress myself better than you, you sissy waste of makeup!"

Frederico turned to Xanxus and sneered. "You would just embarrass us again. Your attention seeking behavior and social phobia combine to-"

"Social phobia?" It came out as almost a scream. Damn he was going to be glad when puberty came.

Massimos eyes were full of mirth and his mouth was twitching. Xanxus gave him the finger.

"Well why else would you always sulk at all parties?" Frederico said.

"Because they're full of idiots."

"Nonsense", Frederico said. "All your little friends will be there. The point is, you need to learn to behave. Last time we had a party you ruined my speech-"

"Completely accidentally, I'm sure", Massimo murmured, but Frederico didn't seem to hear.

"And you sent lady Emerita back home in tears!"

"I'll show you tears!"

Xanxus launched himself at Frederico. Massimo let him take his fury out on the ponce for a moment, then came to drag him away.

* * *

><p>The birthday party was torture. Dozens of simpering idiots from the higher social classes had come and he had to accept congratulations from all of them. The smaller kids were gorging themselves on sweets. A bit older boys were rowdy and loud and a bit older girls were chatting in cliques. The ones who were Xanxus' own age or older were tolerable, he supposed. But they weren't <em>friends<em>.

Calloused hands covered his eyes. "Guess who?"

"Stupid brother who doesn't know how to read a calendar."

The hands disappeared and Enrico laughed. He had a strong, pleasant laugh.

"Well let's try something more difficult", Enrico said and presented a box for Xanxus. "Guess what!"

Xanxus took the box and tested the weight. It was pretty light, certainly less than three kilograms.

This was an old tradition of theirs. Xanxus would try to guess what he got and could ask for hints, but he wasn't allowed to open the packet until he had guessed right.

"I've got the necessary accessories too", Enrico said with a wink. "I'll bring them to you room later."

_Accessories? Ammunition! _

"Gun!"

Enrico nodded and Xanxus grinned.

"It's not as light as any sidearm I've used, but a lot lighter than an uzi. The shape feels wrong for a rifle. Is it something I've never used?"

"Uh-huh."

"Is it something completely new? Something that has been developed recently?"

"Yes!" Enrico leaned in and whispered almost to his ear. "It's a new firearm designed for Varia. Kind of like a compact assault rifle. Come on, I'll go to make an excuse to father and then we can go to your room so you can open it!"

A new cool weapon and a permission to escape the party? Okay, Enrico was forgiven anything and everything bad he had ever done. Even that time he had left Xanxus on the roof for half an hour before fetching a ladder.

They approached the front of the room, where father and Frederico were holding court. Massimo was nowhere to be seen, but then he never was. Massimo wasn't a warrior like Enrico, but he was not interested in politics either. He had a habit of disappearing in the crowds and sneaking away without anyone noticing. Xanxus was a bit jealous of that skill. He always got caught if he tried that.

Xanxus stood back when Enrico went to talk to father. Frederico glanced over to him, still hostile from the fight earlier in the morning.

"Oh, Prince Xanxus!"

Xanxus turned to to see a pretty girl with long, dark hair and a white dress. She was older than him, although he wasn't sure exactly how much. Four or five years, he guessed.

"I came to offer you congratulations on your birthday", the girl said a bit breathlessly. "And - congratulations on the shooting competition win last month."

"Thank you", Xanxus said politely. It hadn't really been a big competition or anything. Heck, compared to training with Massimo or Enrico it had been almost laughably easy. "You were in attendance?"

"I was watching", the girl said. "Actually - we saw before that, I was with my father in the press conference."

"Oh." Xanxus remembered her, just barely. "We talked a bit about the running target championships coming next spring?"

"Yes!" The girl was blushing a bit. "I just - I hope you take part! You were really good last month. Not that you aren't always! Well, it was nice to see you."

"My pleasure", Xanxus said even as the girl fled away. She took long steps and her hips swayed a bit with each of them.

"Ooh!" Enricos voice snapped him out of looking after her. "Xanxus has an admirer!"

"Don't be ridiculous", Frederico said. He had drifted closer during the conversation. "He's only nine! Clearly lady Zita is just using him to get closer to us. She is far closer to our age than his."

Enrico had to place a restraining hand on Xanxus' shoulder. "Now now, Frederico, no need to be jealous. You have plenty of girls of your own, even if not any with such a good taste. Come on, Xanxus, we need to drop my gift to your room."

Xanxus glared at Frederico, then turned and followed Enrico out.

"Don't let him get to you", Enrico said. "He's just a prat. We'll talk about something more important. How's your training going?"

Xanxus allowed himself to be diverted to more pleasant topics. "Massimo is training me thrice a week, still mostly with pistols. He has me running errands and doing odd jobs for him one day a week as repayment. He says I'm still not allowed to practice without supervision."

"Hmm, maybe we'll talk to father and try to get permission for that this week."

Xanxus grinned at his brother, who grinned back. "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back, little brother."

* * *

><p><em><span>Present day<span>_

Xanxus listened with half an ear to the report Mammon was giving. Mammon had spent the last day re-establishing his information network. Most of the old informants had accepted to resume their work. The ones that didn't - maybe Xanxus would send that new kid to 'talk' to them. Bel-whatever. He'd see what they were made of, both the kid and the cowards. Maybe even literally.

"And in Tokyo, they spent a considerable wealth in sponsoring the surgery and recovery of a teenage Japanese girl…"

Great. The mini-trash was turning Vongola into a _charity organization. _What the hell was the ol- Nono thinking? The kid had no education, no experience and he was soft. All smaller countries Vongola had conquered would use his softness to their advantage. And that wasn't even considering how the mini-trash would mess up the economy and get trampled over in foreign affairs.

He wasn't even taking his responsibilities seriously!

Well, that was making things easier for Xanxus. First impressions were hard to defeat and Xanxus could now have the first move. He'd show them he was more capable in every way.

Nono would be forced to bend. He had been weak. He had let his sons die. He hadn't even avenged them - Xanxus had done that, for Enrico and Massimo at least.

Nono had let others trample over Vongola.

And if you couldn't protect what was yours, you didn't deserve it.


	9. Interlude II - Byakuran

_Interlude II_

When Byakuran was ten years old, he found a new mother. Or, more accurately, his new mother found him. Byakuran certainly hadn't been looking for a new family. If he had, he'd have demanded financial support from his father like all his other bastards.

Byakuran had actually been content living in the streets. It was a hard life, but also refreshingly honest. No-one put any false pretenses on for the sake of a street kid. He could steal and swindle to his hearts content without getting anyone else in trouble. Not that he ever had. Even when living with his first mother he had been too good for that.

His new mother was a tall woman, young and still childless. Byakuran was suspicious of her. Who adopted a kid with nothing to offer at a first glance? She didn't show what it was she gained, just played a good samaritan. This just meant she was a good actor, and therefore even more trouble.

But Byakuran was intrigued, and therefore allowed her to take him away.

* * *

><p>"She will inherit a great responsibility", mother said. "You will be her knight and help her stand tall, won't you sweetheart?"<p>

"Yes, mother", Byakuran said. He eyed the baby in his mothers arms suspiciously. That burping lump of meat was to be his sister? As if.

"Byakuran", his mother said disapprovingly.

"Sorry." He never had gotten quite used to how much his mother knew. It was eerie, although he was such a hypocrite for thinking that. It wasn't like he was in any way normal himself.

"You'll come to love her. You'll see."

Byakuran didn't protest. His mother was rarely wrong, so for now he'd reserve judgement.

* * *

><p>"I don't think this is a good idea", Byakuran said.<p>

"Why?" his sister said. "Was he dishonest? Does he have plans I wouldn't like?"

"I just don't like it. I'm not there to protect you. If they would allow me to come with you-"

"They specifically said you're not allowed anywhere near. And can you blame them, with your reputation?"

Byakuran cringed. "It's not like I'd do anything you don't want me to!"

"I know, brother. But I understand their position as well."

Byakurans shoulders slumped. It never was any use to argue with his sister. She did what she wanted either way. "Promise, promise me you'll be careful. And contact me every day. If I haven't heard of you before nightfall I'll hop on a plane and storm there anyway, okay?"

His sister laughed. "It's just a marriage, brother, not a death sentence! You always knew I'd marry one day."

"I thought you'd still get to stay home", Byakuran grumbled, but he did feel a bit lighter.

* * *

><p>Not a death sentence. Right.<p>

He looked at the last picture he had of his sister. On the day of her marriage, on the arm of his husband. Smiling and waving to the camera, beautiful white gown falling to the grass around her.

Her murderer standing at the edge of the picture, no doubt plotting her death already.

"They're almost through our last defences", mother said from the doorway.

Byakuran folded the picture carefully and put it back to his breast pocket. The he cleared his throat. "I'll get you to safety. I can sneak you and your guards out and out of the country."

"And what would I do there, sweetheart?" His mothers voice was frail. They were both so broken. "He's taken my country, my daughter, my lifes work, my people."

It was true. Neither of them had anything left.

"Then I'll go and kill him."

"No, son", mother said. "I don't think even that would help. And as much as I'd like to see him dead, I can't risk you."

"Then what do you want me to do?" He shouted and swiped his hand across the table so that maps and reports flew to all directions. "I can't do anything else! I can't bring sister back!"

His mother gripped his hand, hard enough that his bones ground together. "I only have one thing left. One child. I'm saving what I can."

It dawned on him what she was planning. He tried to wrench his hand away. "No, mother!"

"I love you, sweetheart. I'll trust everything to you. Try to live..."

The world disappeared in a flash of white noise. When Byakuran came to, he was alone.

His knees gave out and he crumbled to the ground, sobbing.

* * *

><p>Byakuran looked around him in the deserted parking hall. There were little droplets of blood everywhere and used bullets and bullet casings littered the ground. Everything had small dents left by bullets ricocheting around.<p>

And still it was a failure. True, he had ordered his men to concentrate fire on the Decimo, who was protected by both his guardians and the legendary hitman Reborn. And after the lights had gone out, they had been forced to rely on to spray-and-pray tactics, which made hitting anything pure chance. Still. He clearly should've been better prepared for this.

But how had he been supposed to know 'the Sky' was now Vongola Decimo? He had been prepared to kill a bunch of kids, not Vongola guardians, criminals and a hitman.

He had underestimated them. Now what? He couldn't let them lead Vongola. They were all far too vulnerable to the darkness inside them.

His phone rang. The sound echoed in the mostly empty space and made Byakuran wince. Even though he had been wearing hearing protection his ears still hurt from the gunfight.

He took one look at the number and then smiled. Finally.

Time to put problems with Vongola aside. This was more important.


	10. Arc 2: First Blood

**AN: I intended to make this longer, but it kind of felt like I could stop here. Unedited, but I rarely need to edit much, so hopefully it is good. Good reading, thank you for your interest! This fic is already looking to be more popular than I dared to hope!**

* * *

><p><em>Arc II - The The Price of Leniency<br>Chapter one - First blood_

Hayato entered the train compartment reserved for them as the train was leaving the station. Shoichi was there already, sitting next to the window with his arms wrapped around his legs. Shoichi had been distancing himself from the others. Tsuna had been trying to counter it by spending as much time as he could with the boy. It didn't seem to be working.

_Ungrateful bastard_, Hayato thought as he sat on the seat opposite Shoichi. Shoichi didn't deserve being showered with attention and affection. He hadn't even believed Sky was real!

He ignored the voice that asked if he was any better himself.

Tsuna entered soon after and Hayato had to wipe a scowl off his face when he sat next to Shoichi and not Hayato. Reborn took the other seat next to Tsuna while Ryohei and Mukuro sat opposite them. Kyoya stayed at the door, leaning against it.

Takeshi took a seat on the floor and leaned against Tsunas legs. Why was he touching Tsuna so casually? They were from totally different social classes! It would be a scandal if anyone Vongolan saw.

"So", Takeshi said. "Xanxus?"

And that was another thing. They were all foreign and didn't know anything about Vongola! How were they expecting to handle their duties as guardians? Did they even _realize _how much the country relied on the guardians?

"Xanxus is the youngest son of Nono", Tsuna said. "I call him cousin but we are not actually that closely related. He is ten years older than me. We've seen each other at family dinners and so on, but never actually spent time together. I'm not even sure if we've ever talked."

Tsuna brushed hair away from his eyes and seemed to gather his thoughts. "Xanxus is strong and regal and can be charismatic when he wants to. He is far from stupid - he has several engineering degrees and his own speciality weapons, X-guns, are of his own design. He has always been very popular with the public.

"He knows it too. I think he always expected to be named Decimo. When Frederico was named Nonos heir instead of him he threw a fit and declared he would never follow a leader in any way inferior to him. Xanxus is very proud, so he won't be going back on that.

"This is not common knowledge, but a few years later, after the deaths of Enrico and Massimo, Xanxus tried a coup. Nono foiled it and Xanxus was imprisoned. But there never was a trial and the public was never told of it. To them, he just disappeared from the public eye one day. I think Nono wished that Xanxus would mellow and see sense in prison and then they could release him without a fuss. But that is not how Xanxus works."

"Quiet", Reborn said. "It's stating."

Reborn turned on the volume on the tiny television. They all turned to watch it, Shoichi turning back from the window through which he had been watching Vongolan countryside passing by.

On the screen Hayato saw a handsome and imposing young man. He was tall and tanned, with dark hair and two impressive scars on the left side of his face. He had strong features and a muscular build.

"He looks just like he did last I saw him", Tsuna said, watching Xanxus sit down opposite of a reporter. "Except those scars."

"So we can't just tell everyone of what he did and get him thrown back in prison?" Hayato said.

"Nono doesn't want that", Reborn said. "The fool is sentimental and far too attached to his son to see him executed for treason. And that would be the punishment according to law."

"And if he would execute Xanxus the whole Varia would revolt", Tsuna said. "He was a brilliant leader for them. And they are our armys elite troops and trained assassins. It would tear Vongola apart."

Reborn nodded with a small smile. Hayato got the impression he was pleased Tsuna had thought of that himself.

The reporter had finished trying to get knowledge of where Xanxus had spent the past years. Xanxus had not outright said anything, but he hadn't denied any rumors of heroic deeds and glorious battles either. Neither did he answer in any way where he had gotten his new scars. Hayato could see the reporter was convinced they were from a top-secret mission. Certainly not from trying to kill his own father, the emperor.

It irked Hayato to see the reporter eating out of his hand, but he forcefully calmed himself. He needed to be analytical, not emotional for this.

"Well now it is time to get to the question I'm sure everyone has been waiting for", the reporter said. "What do you think of the new Vongola Decimo? He has not shown his face yet, despite having been the heir for almost a year. Is your return a show of support for the Decimo, or is there another reason?"

If Xanxus didn't like hearing someone else called Decimo, he certainly didn't show it. One side of his mouth curled up into a tiny smile, but otherwise his expression remained the same. "Ah, little Tsuna. I have been waiting to see him step into the limelight myself. I understand it takes some adjustment to suddenly become the heir, but almost a year is a bit long to take. He is in a new environment, of course. Prime minister Sawada has always been insistent on keeping Tsuna out of the public. But no, while Tsuna is my dear cousin I didn't come for him. I came back for my father."

"Emperor Nono?"

"Yes. I have been a bit worried for my father during the past year. I fear his choice of nominating Tsuna as Decimo is stressing him. He does his job with the routine ruling for thirty years has given him, but he seems to have lost his spark and excitement. He doesn't sleep well and seems very tired and has a much shorter temper than usually. Why, last we met we almost got into a fistfight, which is not like him at all! He delegates more and more of his responsibilities to his guardians, too. I think he is really looking forward to retirement. With good reason, of course. He is nearing ninety! And as anyone who knows someone ninety years old knows, he is far from his prime."

"And what did you wish to accomplish with your return?"

"I had hoped to take on some of my fathers workload, but I'm afraid my way had been blocked at every turn. It is frustrating. As the last son, I feel my duty is to help and protect my father. He insists that I should stay in the military, where I've proved my talents and where I'm valuable. But Varia has been idle, which is a waste of resources, and I've not even been allowed into the investigation on my own brothers death. Meanwhile father hardly has time to see me. Should I not lessen his workload, even if that role is meant for the Decimo?"

"Do you know why the Decimo has not yet taken on his duties, then?"

"Not really. Perhaps he isn't too keen on them. Perhaps he is still just as shy with strangers as he was as a child. Perhaps he has been in poor health. I've not met Tsuna in years, so it is hard to say. Last I saw he was still under ten years old. Although why he took the position if he isn't ready for the responsibility I don't know. Father has always had a soft spot for him, of course."

"What is your own relationship with the Decimo?"

"We weren't ever friends, the age difference is too big. He was really just a kid for me. He looked like such an angelic child - and if you denied him anything, he'd look at you with big tearful eyes, hair cutely mussed and lip trembling, and you'd give up so he wouldn't run to father crying and get you in trouble. He has grown up from that, I'm sure, but I can't know since I haven't seen him."

"So you don't think the Decimo will be up to his job?" the reporter asked.

"I think he is still young and new to responsibility. But I guess he will be fine, as long as father is still here to guide him. And as long as his guardians know what to do. I hope he has_ at least_ chosen them already during the year. Or, as a last resort, he could get a more experienced regent to handle his duties until he is older."

"I'm afraid we are nearing our time limit. Are there any last words you wish to give us?"

"Just this. Tsuna is my cousin - well, technically we are fifth cousins once removed - and for Vongola, blood comes always first. I am harsh to him because he can not be allowed to take his position lightly and I want the best for both him and our country. But he is blood, and therefore I will be there to guide him, if he just lets me."

"Thank you for your touching -"

Reborn cut the sound off. "So. He is painting Nono as a tired old man and even if we refute it we will just be seen as liars. Tsuna is an irresponsible jerk for not helping Nono and incompetent on top of that. He is the caring and wise older cousin who just wants the best for us all. How do we combat that?"

"Why is he doing it?" Hayato said. "It's not like Vongola is a democracy. Even if he can paint himself favorably in the public, it won't change Nonos decision."

"Maybe he wants a bit extra security?" Takeshi said. "We can't dispose of him easily if it would result in a public outcry."

"There could be a dozen reasons", Mukuro said. "If he is smart, he will have thought of all of them."

"He is", Tsuna said quietly. "I think this is just a part of his plan. But if we figure out why he is doing this, maybe it will help us find out the other parts as well."

"We need to combat the image he has painted with another one", Shoichi said. "Something similar enough that people will have an easier time in accepting it, but more favourable for us."

Hayato tried to dig through what he remembered of the interview. Was there something they could use there?

"Maybe we could emphasize that being Decimo is a political position", Takeshi said. "And that Xanxus is too valuable in the army?"

"For that he has an easy counter", Mukuro said. "He hasn't been needed in the army for past years. Public doesn't know why, but they know he hasn't been there. Why could he not step into politics now?"

"He did give us an out", Ryohei said. "'As long as his guardians know what to do', remember? So we just need to prove ourselves."

Hayato gave him a pitying look even as Takeshi agreed enthusiastically from the floor. Tsuna looked uncomfortable and Mukuro and Shoichi seemed to guess that would not be easy.

"I hate to say this", Reborn said, "but you're not ready for that. You don't even really understand what your positions entail. And you're foreigners, which means proving yourself _good _isn't enough. You need to be the _best._"

"What has our birthplace got to do with anything?" Ryohei said.

Nobody seemed too keen on explaining, so Hayato sighed and did it himself. "Vongola has never truly lost, ever, in anything. Sometimes the battles drag out, but Vongola always comes on top in the war. Most Vongolans have an inherent sense that they're superior to everyone else. Even the people who have been born in Vongola, but whose parents or grandparents are not, have trouble being perceived as equals." And didn't he know that, since his mother had been of foreign birth.

"What Hayato is saying that Vongola is pretty racist", Reborn said bluntly. "It is not overt and not too visible, which makes it even harder to counter since it is hard to get people to acknowledge it. But it is there. Vongolans believe they're the best, so you need to beat them soundly before they acknowledge they might be wrong."

"Then we'll do that", Ryohei said confidently.

"You'll need to", Reborn said.

A short silence followed. Shoichi turned back to the window. Tsuna stared at his hands and bit his lip. He seemed to be lost in thought.

"Tsuna", Hayato said. "What is it you want to do?"

Tsuna lifted his head slowly. "I think I want to speak to Xanxus."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this?" Hayato said.<p>

"I'm not ashamed of any of you", Tsuna said. There was a small tremor in his voice, but Hayato was sure it had to do with the huge crowd of reporters waiting at the train platform and not the subject. "And it will be better if I tell them about you than if they go digging themselves. The only thing I'm worried about is that Vindice will come demanding Mukuro, but I don't think that can be avoided."

Reborn and Takeshi entered. They had been looking over the crowd discreetly, making sure the people present were really reporters and not assassins. They'd gotten Ken, Chikusa and Chrome out at the same time. Ken and Chikusa were still injured and Chrome painfully shy, so they'd decided it was better to keep them out of this.

Hayato would've liked to keep all the other guardians out of this as well, but he trusted Tsunas judgement.

Reborn eyed Tsuna appreciatively. Tsuna fiddled with his jewelry. He seemed uncomfortable with all the gold and the heavy cloak. His regalia had been modeled after the clothing Vongola Primo wore in all his portraits.

"Good", Reborn said. "You look almost exactly like Primo. Let's see anyone try to deny your right to the throne with you dressed like this. Remember what I've taught you. Maintain eye contact, keep your body language open and honest. Don't be tense or seem defensive."

Tsuna nodded and rolled his shoulders back, eyes closed. He breathed in, held his breath and then breathed out. Then he straightened himself and opened his eyes. "Everyone ready?"

They all nodded. They were dressed in suits (how Reborn had found them with so little time puzzled Hayato) and were all armed. Reborn had loaned Shoichi one of his own guns, since he was the only one who didn't yet have a weapon of his own. Guardians were supposed to be armed at all times, so it would be expected.

"Let's go then," Reborn said.

Tsuna squared his shoulders. Ryohei went to open the door and Tsuna stepped out first. It was part of the plan. To seem confident and draw the attention of the reporters to him, so hopefully the guardians would be spared most of the spotlight.

Reborn and Hayato followed on Tsunas heels and took their places slightly behind him. All of the rest of the guardians stayed a few steps back, next to the train.

There was a stunned silence in the platform. The reporters watched Tsuna, some with their mouths slightly open. Hayato could relate - Tsuna was the spitting image of Vongola Primo, except with darker coloring and shorter. Cameras were flashing as the photographers did their job.

Tsuna smiled. Hayato could see it was a bit strained, but not so much that people who didn't really know him would notice. "Thank you all for coming. It is humbling to see that my return to our great home country has drawn so many of you here. And it is inspiring to know so many take an interest in what I have to say, now that I'm addressing all of my grandfathers subjects for the first time.

"I have sincerely pledged myself to the service of my country and all its people, like I hope they will one day be pledged into mine. It is a great honor for me to be trusted with this position, and a great joy to be able to help my grandfather shoulder the burdens of rule. He, like all his generation, has fought and worked suffered to make Vongola strong and our childhoods safe. Now it is my turn to take that role, and I swear that I will strive with all my heart to be worthy of it.

"I've spent last year under the tutelage of my grandfathers old friend and confidant, the legendary hitman Reborn. His help and teachings have been invaluable for me as he has prepared me for my role and as we have gathered my guardians, all of whom are trusted and capable. All of us want the best for our country and we are all committed to making it the best it can be. We will follow the path laid out by our predecessors with confidence and strive to bring glory and prosperity for our country.

"Now you can ask me a few questions. Please don't shout on top of each other. Raise your hand and Reborn will call on you."

Practically all the hands in the crowd shot up immediately and Reborn started calling on them.

"What is your response to the interview Prince Xanxus gave today?"

"I felt a bit hurt, to be honest, to hear how little faith he had in me. I hope to speak with Prince Xanxus personally soon and lay some of his fears to rest. I'd gladly hear his advice and I'd be humbled to have his help in managing Vongola, but he will need to give me his respect before that can happen. He will need to stop seeing me as younger cousin and start seeing me as Vongola Decimo."

"Reborn, what is your opinion on the Decimo?"

Reborn lifted his chin slightly and answered with a strong voice. "I am proud of my student. Although he still has ways to go, he has shown me strength of character and a will to protect and serve, and that is what the emperor needs most. All other things come with time."

The questions continued. Most of them were personal in nature, about hobbies and Tsunas past. There was one question about what Tsuna thought was his most important topical job as Decimo.

"There are two things", Tsuna answered. "First is that I wish to lessen the corruption in our government. It is important that we have the most capable people working for us and helping us build our country, and I wish government hiring decisions would be based more on that. In some positions social standing and wealth may be important, but in most they shouldn't be. I also find it somewhat hypocritical that people with non-Vongolan ancestry are passed by. The original Vongola as it was when Primo stepped down was not yet a grand empire and hardly anyone can claim to descend only from them. Most of the so-called 'Vongolans' today descend from people conquered by Secondo. Since it has been such a long time since then, they are Vongolans in every important sense of the word. So will be the children or at least grandchildren of those we conquer today. Vongola is a culture, not just an ancestry, which means it can spread outside of bloodlines. We shouldn't discount people because of their blood.

"The second thing is that I wish to find the killer of my cousin Frederico, the previous Decimo. I was never close to him, seeing as we had a seventeen year age difference. Nevertheless, he was my blood, and he was a Vongola. I vow that we will unearth whoever it was that attacked us through him, and they will regret the day they thought they could stand against Vongola. Vongola was founded for the protection of its people and we can't protect them properly if others think they can target us."

"Are you considering declaring a war on the culprits?"

"I think a lethal response is a given. Whether it will qualify as a war depends on the culprits. If it is a foreign nation, then yes, I'm considering it. If it is a smaller group or organization, then extermination might be a better term. Vongola was built to uphold justice, not peace, and to respond with strength, not hesitation."

Some reporters asked about the guardians then. Tsuna didn't give their names, but praised all their abilities. He described Hayato as 'an academic genius with a degree in explosives engineering who served in the royal guards'. It made Hayato almost smile until he remembered everyone was watching him.

The questions didn't wind down but eventually Reborn decided enough was enough. Tsuna said a few words afterwards and then they made way to the limousine waiting for them. Hayato and Kyoya walked ahead to keep their path clear and Hayato opened the limousine door for Tsuna. The car was big enough they all fit in in relative comfort.

Tsuna started to hyperventilate as soon as the doors were shut. "That", he gasped between breaths, "was nerve-wrecking."

"You did well", Reborn said. "Now gather yourself before I kick your ass in gear."

Tsuna cringed but started to take deep breaths and control his breathing again. Takeshi rubbed circles on his back and Tsuna sent a grateful smile to Takeshi.

Then Reborn drew a buzzing phone out of his pocket. "Unknown number. That's weird."

He answered the phone and the others waited silently. In a moment Reborn put his hand over the phone and mouthed to Tsuna. 'Xanxus. Still want to talk?'

Hayato almost startled. He must've been watching the interview on television. But how the hell did he have Reborns number so fast?

Tsuna licked his lips, gaze flickering between the phone and the windows, as if looking for a way out. But he took the phone. Reborn looked reluctant to give it.

* * *

><p>Tsuna answered with a soft "Hello, cousin." There was a short silence at the other end.<p>

"What do you want?"

Tsuna chuckled. It came out a bit strained. He hoped it wasn't audible to the other end. This day was hell on his nerves. "Still as blunt as ever, I see."

"Cut to the case, brat."

"Very well. I don't want us to be enemies. We are family."

How should he word this? How could he say he didn't believe Xanxus would never ever hurt Vongola? How could he convince him Tsuna had Vongolas best interests in mind?

"The fuck, brat."

"We both want what is best for Vongola. We should be on the same side, not use our time to hurt each other. Undermining Nono will just hurt Vongola."

"Vongola is already hurting. Nono is slipping."

"Grandfather is not-"

"Listen, you stupid brat. Did it ever cross your mind that I might know my father, with whom I lived until I was sixteen, better than you know your pseudo-grandfather you've never seen more than twice a year? Of course not. You don't think you can be wrong. Well let me make it clear. To me you're just a self-important brat who has tried to step into shoes too big for him."

Tsuna felt cold. It was - it was… true. He knew Xanxus could just be instilling doubt in him, but it didn't make it any less true. He hadn't for one minute considered Xanxus might be right in any way, shape or form. He hadn't tried to think of any evidence for or against him, just assumed that things were as he had already thought they were.

How could he expect any respect from Xanxus when Tsuna so obviously didn't respect him in return?

Xanxus wasn't finished yet. His voice had gone quiet and poisonous. "You think you're _good _for Vongola? Think again. Have you really thought what it means to be Decimo? To have the whole empire and all its people relying on you? Do you know how it will change you, what it will require of you, how you _need _to change to be able to handle it? How you can be the best leader possible? You haven't. And so there is nothing that you can do to make me acknowledge you."

It was true. All true. He hadn't really thought about the job, he'd just thought of making grandfather proud. He'd actively avoided thoughts of leading and just followed Reborns lead when it was needed. The whole idea of so much responsibility felt crushing and suffocating. The thought of standing over others, under their gazes, still made him want to hyperventilate. He'd barely been able to handle a few dozen reporters without a panic attack. How was he ever going to lead?

"Don't come begging me for advice", Xanxus growled. "You're not worth it."

Xanxus hung up on him, but Tsuna hardly noticed. He lowered the phone with numb hands. He could only imagine how he looked. White as a sheet, probably.

"What did the bastard say, Tsuna?" Hayato looked and sounded ready to kill someone.

"Nothing."

"Obviously it wasn't nothing" Takeshi said. "You can tell us, you now. We're here to support you."

But he didn't want to tell. Didn't want his failures to be so obvious to them. Didn't want to make them value him less. They were here for him - Shoichi had been shot for him, most of them had left their families behind for him. He couldn't be weak.

"Just…" Tsuna took a deep breath. "I guess there won't be any co-operation from him."

He needed to be stronger. He needed to lead. He needed to think this through. What were his most immediate concerns?

"Mukuro and Hayato?" Tsuna said. "When we have settled down I'd like the two of you and Chrome to dig into Mukuros trial. I want a genuine reason not to hand anyone over when Vindice comes knocking. Or at least a reason we can make look legitimate for the press. Then I want Mukuro to also start teaching us how to use this bond of ours. It might come in handy. Shoichi, could you think about what Xanxus could want and try to start anticipating his next moves and think on how to counter them? And keep an eye on the press, so we know what he does. We'll all need to start really training for our positions, too. I'll try to get grandfathers guardians to let help us, if they have time."

There were nods all around. Tsuna was still feeling slightly unbalanced, but he would try. For them, and for Vongola.


End file.
